Bucks NHS not aware of study but says 'things have moved on'

NHS chiefs for Bucks say they were not aware of a 2007 study which examined concerns surrounding the centralisation of emergency wards.

A national newspaper campaign against A&E closures has been highlighting the findings of the study by the Medical Care Research Unit at Sheffield University – which looked at the "relationship between distance to hospital and patient mortality in emergencies".

It found specialist centres improve outcomes for some groups of emergency cases such as major trauma patients, but it adds: "However, there are also some groups of critically ill patients who need urgent but not specialist care.

"For example, patients in anaphylactic shock, choking, drowning, or having acute asthma attacks need urgent care that would be the same wherever it is provided.

"For these patients, there may be a detriment in having to travel increased distances...

The study argues the current debate within the NHS should be about extending the list of patient conditions that should bypass local hospitals and be taken to specialist centres, rather than about the closure of local emergency rooms.

Wycombe Hospital's emergency ward has been completed closed this month (see related links), so the study suggests some Wycombe patients now being directed to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, such as those with breathing problems, could now be at increased risk.

The Bucks Free Press asked the NHS if the recent changes could be detrimental for this group of patients.

The NHS Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Cluster and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said they were not aware of this research, but said "things have moved on since this study".

In a joint statement they added: "It is now much clearer that emergency patients generally do better when they are diagnosed and treated in A&E departments with strong teams of senior doctors on hand 24/7.

"In the past the senior A&E team was split between Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe Hospitals and faced staffing problems which could have led to a deterioration in the quality and safety of services.

"Centralising this senior team in the Stoke Mandeville site means that this is no longer a risk. For the vast majority of patients, the benefits of this in terms of quality and safety of services far outweigh any additional risk attached to longer travel times."

Comments

Darren Hayday
8:50am Fri 26 Oct 12

How have things moved on? People don't choke anymore; they don’t have heart attacks or die of loss of blood, etc
Look at the times that it takes to travel to either Wexham or SM from a centralized Wycombe area, then compare to the fact and figures in this study. They are there in black and white and if they were not aware of these – they know them now.
So what is their defence, because it can no longer be ignorance?

How have things moved on? People don't choke anymore; they don’t have heart attacks or die of loss of blood, etc
Look at the times that it takes to travel to either Wexham or SM from a centralized Wycombe area, then compare to the fact and figures in this study. They are there in black and white and if they were not aware of these – they know them now.
So what is their defence, because it can no longer be ignorance?Darren Hayday

How have things moved on? People don't choke anymore; they don’t have heart attacks or die of loss of blood, etc
Look at the times that it takes to travel to either Wexham or SM from a centralized Wycombe area, then compare to the fact and figures in this study. They are there in black and white and if they were not aware of these – they know them now.
So what is their defence, because it can no longer be ignorance?

Score: 0

QualityCare4all
10:30am Fri 26 Oct 12

http://www.nhsconfed
.org/Documents/12101
9%20NHS%20Confederat
ion%20briefing%20on%
20reconfiguration%20
of%20A%20and%20E%20s
ervices.pdf These are the sorts of reasons for the reconfuiguration of hospital services.
I think the Trust means that 'things have moved on' in the way that the evidence available about how to have high quality services has moved on.
The evidence mentioned is not as clear cut as the headline suggests.

http://www.nhsconfed
.org/Documents/12101
9%20NHS%20Confederat
ion%20briefing%20on%
20reconfiguration%20
of%20A%20and%20E%20s
ervices.pdf These are the sorts of reasons for the reconfuiguration of hospital services.
I think the Trust means that 'things have moved on' in the way that the evidence available about how to have high quality services has moved on.
The evidence mentioned is not as clear cut as the headline suggests.QualityCare4all

http://www.nhsconfed
.org/Documents/12101
9%20NHS%20Confederat
ion%20briefing%20on%
20reconfiguration%20
of%20A%20and%20E%20s
ervices.pdf These are the sorts of reasons for the reconfuiguration of hospital services.
I think the Trust means that 'things have moved on' in the way that the evidence available about how to have high quality services has moved on.
The evidence mentioned is not as clear cut as the headline suggests.

Score: 0

Darren Hayday
4:43pm Fri 26 Oct 12

QualityCare4all wrote…

http://www.nhsconfed

.org/Documents/12101

9%20NHS%20Confederat

ion%20briefing%20on%

20reconfiguration%20

of%20A%20and%20E%20s

ervices.pdf These are the sorts of reasons for the reconfuiguration of hospital services.
I think the Trust means that 'things have moved on' in the way that the evidence available about how to have high quality services has moved on.
The evidence mentioned is not as clear cut as the headline suggests.

Good God, do you really believe in this yourself - personally?

I've read some of your other comments and you seem to be heading the 'What a great move this is for Wycombe' brigade.

The whole situation from start to finish is an embarrassment of the whole system.

They have got away with it. They had no-one in their way.

But please don’t insult our intelligence by trying to spin things and tell us that black is white and vice versa!

[quote][p][bold]QualityCare4all[/bold] wrote:
http://www.nhsconfed
.org/Documents/12101
9%20NHS%20Confederat
ion%20briefing%20on%
20reconfiguration%20
of%20A%20and%20E%20s
ervices.pdf These are the sorts of reasons for the reconfuiguration of hospital services.
I think the Trust means that 'things have moved on' in the way that the evidence available about how to have high quality services has moved on.
The evidence mentioned is not as clear cut as the headline suggests.[/p][/quote]Good God, do you really believe in this yourself - personally?
I've read some of your other comments and you seem to be heading the 'What a great move this is for Wycombe' brigade.
The whole situation from start to finish is an embarrassment of the whole system.
They have got away with it. They had no-one in their way.
But please don’t insult our intelligence by trying to spin things and tell us that black is white and vice versa!Darren Hayday

QualityCare4all wrote…

http://www.nhsconfed

.org/Documents/12101

9%20NHS%20Confederat

ion%20briefing%20on%

20reconfiguration%20

of%20A%20and%20E%20s

ervices.pdf These are the sorts of reasons for the reconfuiguration of hospital services.
I think the Trust means that 'things have moved on' in the way that the evidence available about how to have high quality services has moved on.
The evidence mentioned is not as clear cut as the headline suggests.

Good God, do you really believe in this yourself - personally?

I've read some of your other comments and you seem to be heading the 'What a great move this is for Wycombe' brigade.

The whole situation from start to finish is an embarrassment of the whole system.

They have got away with it. They had no-one in their way.

But please don’t insult our intelligence by trying to spin things and tell us that black is white and vice versa!

Score: 0

QualityCare4all
1:29am Sat 27 Oct 12

I don't believe in one thing or another.
I try to inform.
I try to explain why things happen.
What is best for Wycombe may not be best for the Thames Valley or Bucks.
The quality of care provided at a centre of excellence may be better than at a local DGH in some cases. e.g stroke and cardiology services but in other cases the travel time decreases the outcomes.
So, as in our own lives, we have to make choices and compromises.
I dont think that the Trusts have given us the full information.
We need to ask the right questions and we failed to do so when they were consulting.
There is a meeting on the 31st October at Marlow 1200. Be there.

I don't believe in one thing or another.
I try to inform.
I try to explain why things happen.
What is best for Wycombe may not be best for the Thames Valley or Bucks.
The quality of care provided at a centre of excellence may be better than at a local DGH in some cases. e.g stroke and cardiology services but in other cases the travel time decreases the outcomes.
So, as in our own lives, we have to make choices and compromises.
I dont think that the Trusts have given us the full information.
We need to ask the right questions and we failed to do so when they were consulting.
There is a meeting on the 31st October at Marlow 1200. Be there.QualityCare4all

I don't believe in one thing or another.
I try to inform.
I try to explain why things happen.
What is best for Wycombe may not be best for the Thames Valley or Bucks.
The quality of care provided at a centre of excellence may be better than at a local DGH in some cases. e.g stroke and cardiology services but in other cases the travel time decreases the outcomes.
So, as in our own lives, we have to make choices and compromises.
I dont think that the Trusts have given us the full information.
We need to ask the right questions and we failed to do so when they were consulting.
There is a meeting on the 31st October at Marlow 1200. Be there.

http://www.foundatio
ntrustnetwork.org/ne
ws/ftn-calls-for-pub
lic-debate-on-redesi
gn-of-health-service
s/
The results of a survey on centralising services.
A contradictory result from patients.QualityCare4all

Here is an editorial from the Independent about this issue: Closure of hospitals
http://www.independe
nt.co.uk/voices/edit
orials/editorial-som
etimes-hospitals-hav
e-to-close-8231529.h
tmlQualityCare4all

Here is an editorial from the Independent about this issue: Closure of hospitals

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